MSS: Claire Crippen

Claire Crippen joins the show to talk about her brother Fran, who died one year ago this weekend in an open water swimming race. She details some memories about him as a brother, swimmer and human being.

Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Jeff Commings: Thanks for tuning in to the Special Edition of the Morning Swim Show. I'm your host Jeff Commings. This weekend marks the one-year anniversary since the untimely death of Fran Crippen, who drowned during an open water race in the United Arab Emirates. Since then, the Crippen family has worked to preserve Fran's legacy not only in the pool but out of the pool. And, today, in the FINIS monitor we'll talk to Fran's younger sister Claire who just graduated from the University of Virginia. Claire, thanks for joining us today. So you're back at Germantown Academy I see?

Claire Crippen: Yes, I'm back here. I started about a month ago and I am the new Assistant Aquatic Director. I'm Shoulberg's assistant, helping him both in the pool for teaching classes, kids K through 12, and then I'm also coaching for him as well, both the Aquatic Club and the early age group and the high school level kids.

Jeff Commings: It's gotta be great being back at your old stomping grounds.

Claire Crippen: Yeah, it's great. The kids are so much fun and it's just really a great opportunity to pass on to younger kids what I was taught here, so it's awesome.

Jeff Commings: Exactly. Well, as we mentioned, it's been one year since your brother Fran died and I imagine that this past year has been really tough, and I can't imagine what's it's like to lose a brother, but I imagine when you were at Virginia, the support of your teammates must have really helped you along.

Claire Crippen: Yeah, the support that I received from the kids back at school and the entire University of Virginia community was unbelievable. They were -- wrapped their arms around me, got me through every single day. There's definitely some ups and downs in there and there were times when I didn't feel like getting in the pool that day or swimming, but they were the ones who encouraged me to keep going and I definitely could not have done it without them. The coaches there were outstanding with me. I don't think I would be in the place today if it wasn't for those coaches there, especially Mark who took me under his wing and treated me like a daughter. So, I mean, there's absolutely no way that I would be in the place I am today without the kids, but swimmers and the coaches and the entire stuff at the University of Virginia.

Jeff Commings: Internally, how were you able to tell yourself that, you know, not only would Fran want me back in the pool and be back in my life but also that it's good for me to be able to kind of just get back in the routine?

Claire Crippen: Yeah, I remember coming home after Fran passed away that Saturday, one of my best friends from school, and Mark drove me home, and Teresa came home that same day. We actually arrived home about -- within a span of ten minutes from each other, so it was great. And I remember waking up on Monday morning and not going to practice, didn't really do anything Monday, kinda laid low. Monday night we were sitting, talking with my mom and dad. And we, Teresa and I decided that we need to get up and go to practice the next day. And we didn't really want to but we thought to ourselves Fran would have wanted us to get back in the water. This is what he would want. If he knew that we would stop swimming because him, he would've been so mad at us and we kept that mindset forever until I finished swimming in March and Teresa is still on that mindset, that this is what Fran would want. This is how he would want us to deal with something like this. So everyday, this is what Fran would want, this is what Fran would do.

Jeff Commings: Now, Fran also attended the University of Virginia. How instrumental was he in helping you pick that school?

Claire Crippen: Actually, when I was a senior in high school, I didn't want to go to the University of Virginia. I wanted a clean slate. I want to be my own person. I didn't what the notion of be -- following in someone's footsteps at another school. I didn't wanna go to Villanova where Maddy went to school. I didn't want to Penn State where Maddy's coaches -- her high -- college coach is coaching there at that time. And I didn't wanna go to University of Virginia because I wanted a new coach. I'd followed in their footsteps for four years during high school, I wanted to do something different. And I went on my recruiting trip Virginia and I expressed that to Mark and Mark was very comforting and was just, like, I don't have time to worry about Fran as a swimmer what he did here. I don't have time to worry about the legacy that he left. I only have time to worry about my athletes on the deck. And hearing him say that was a set in stone on going there after he said that. And Fran, honestly, did not say one word to me during the whole college recruiting process. He stayed as much out of it as he could. He was actually at Virginia the weekend of my recruiting trip and I did not see him once. And that, to me, that was the biggest gift that Fran ever gave me. Letting me go that school on our recruiting trip, completely staying out of my way, knowing that -- knowing my situation with that school and my hesitations about going there, and he stay out of it and I don't even think I told him once I committed to go to Virginia that I was going there. So -- but he was great with that whole thing. And that's how he treated Teresa, too, during her recruiting trip -- recruiting process. He never overstepped his boundaries and it's something that I could -- it was awesome. I don't think -- if he did that, I don't know if I would have gone there so.

Jeff Commings: That's a great story. What was he like as an older brother?

Claire Crippen: He's a character. He had the smile that just made people stop and everyone just loves him. And you could tell with the way he interacted with every single person that he really cared about them. It doesn't -- didn't matter if they were six years old, the kids at GA who he was coaching or people who were 90, 80 years old. And he treated them with the utmost respect and get -- treated them as if they were his friend. And I think that's something important. That's something that I took away from him and that's what I'm trying to do with every new person that I meet and acting like Fran. And the thing about Fran that I loved, not always loved about him, but now I really respect that he did this, he cared so much for me, Teresa, and Maddy. He always was the older brother looking out for us or younger brother looking out for us. And he just made sure we were okay even if he wasn't there. I mean, you heard stories about how Ryan -- he went to Ryan Lochte asking if he would be Teresa -- his eyes at Florida for Teresa looking out after her. He did that with every single one of us. And at times it was annoying, but looking back at everything, I could never thank him enough for what he's done.

Jeff Commings: How will the Crippen family commemorate this anniversary this weekend?

Claire Crippen: I think we're just taking it step by step. I don't -- we're not planning anything, we're not doing anything too special. We're just get -- being surrounded by our family and friends. Teresa will still be down at school. Nothing is gonna change. I think Maddy even has a wedding on Sunday. She'll be up here on Friday -- or Saturday for a dress fitting for her wedding. But I'll be home with my parents and there's a group that's doing -- it's called the Tough Mudder -- it's an obstacle race down in Charlottesville, Virginia, to remember him and do something for him. But I think all of us are kind of just lying low, getting through the weekend, being with our family and our friends and just looking to each other for support.

Jeff Commings: Well, just having briefly met Fran a few years ago, I can tell you that everything you've said about him rings true. Thanks very much for taking the time to share your memories of Fran.Claire Crippen: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Jeff Commings: And all the best you and your family.

Claire Crippen: Thank you.

Jeff Commings: All right, so that's Claire Crippen joining us in the FINIS monitor. If you would like to learn more about the Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation, which was founded after Fran's death, you can go to francrippen.org. Thanks for watching and we'll leave you now with a special tribute to Fran.